Q&A: Russia advances on Pokrovsk, Ukraine digs in, and sanctions start to bite

2025-11-06

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While Russia makes advances on the strategic city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, Western sanctions on Russian oil have begun to impact how some countries source their energy. And as Ukraine continues to ask its allies for more money and weapons, some are left wondering what’s happening with the frozen Russian assets in held in Belgium.Plus, why doesn’t Ukraine obtain nuclear weapons? And what would happen if the country ran out of people who are willing to fight?To answer those que...

While Russia makes advances on the strategic city of Pokrovsk in eastern Ukraine, Western sanctions on Russian oil have begun to impact how some countries source their energy.

And as Ukraine continues to ask its allies for more money and weapons, some are left wondering what’s happening with the frozen Russian assets in held in Belgium.

Plus, why doesn’t Ukraine obtain nuclear weapons? And what would happen if the country ran out of people who are willing to fight?

To answer those questions and more, Lucy is joined by diplomatic correspondent James Landale in Kyiv, Europe digital editor Paul Kirby and senior digital journalist Laura Gozzi.

Today’s episode is presented by Lucy Hockings. The producers were Julia Webster, Laurie Kalus, and Rufus Gray. The technical producer was Ben Andrews. The social producer was Grace Braddock. The series producer is Chris Flynn. The senior news editor is Sam Bonham. Email Ukrainecast@bbc.co.uk with your questions and comments. You can also send us a message or voice note via WhatsApp, Signal or Telegram to +44 330 1239480

You can join the Ukrainecast discussion on Newscast’s Discord server here: tinyurl.com/ukrainecastdiscord

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